The Nielsen ratings company says 5.9 million people watched the first of the Emmy Award-winning show’s eight final episodes Sunday night. That’s nearly double the audience it has ever reached for an episode. The previous record was just under 3 million and came last August.

Sunday’s episode featured a gripping confrontation between star Bryan Cranston’s Walter White character and the brother-in-law who had suddenly realized White was the drug kingpin he had been searching for. The show began in 2008 and ends next month.

The ratings indicate the growing interest in the series from people who get into it on their own time. (AP)